I have in my possession — because I lifted it from the large collection of photos at the Stribling manse in San Antonio — this square black-and-white snapshot. I think I brought it back at the same time as my pre-1960 election Ken and Sue shot.

In light pencil on the back, my mother wrote, “V.A. Hospital Party 1958.” December is on the edge of the print, so a Christmas party would be a good bet. My father probably took it. He was handy with a camera.

Unfortunately, my mother didn’t write anything else on it. My father worked for the VA at the time, so I have to assume this is a picture of a colleague. I don’t know who he was. My recollections of 1958 are vanishingly small, after all. Zero, as it happens.

I suspect no one would have given much thought about cigar-smoking at a party, or cigar-smoking by a doctor, though I imagine that my mother didn’t care much for the second-hand smoke. As a matter of individual taste, that is, and probably not as a health concern.

Via the magic of easy photo enlargement, most of the bottles can be identified.

The big bottle on the shelf is Canada Dry, which must have been a mixer. Next to it is the familiar shape of a standard Coke bottle, recognizable down the decades. A mixer as well, at least for some partygoers. Good to see a bit of continuity with the present, even if it’s in the shape of a commercial object.

Not sure about that left-hand bottle in the row of four, or the right-hand one either, but there are clearly more Canada Dry bottles in between.

The lower shelf features more Coke and gin.

Hiram Walker’s gin, as it happens. I haven’t checked lately, but I expect that’s still in stores, too.